A Christmas Without a Prime
by roudyredd
Summary: I got tired of waiting for TFP season 2, and in process tiny plot bunny ate my week. Had to write it down! My little Christmas Special for Transformers Prime!
1. Chapter 1

**A Christmas Without a Prime**

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><p>It had been a month since they lost Prime. To some it was incomprehensible. To others it may have been easier to except that his spark had been extinguished. For one, it caused him to forget the days were getting shorter and a little cooler (for Nevada anyway).<p>

Thanksgiving came and went, and annoyingly cheerful music was beginning to play on all the radio stations. He was at school today when a silent observer of his melancholy couldn't hold her tongue any further.

"Hey Jack," she said catching up to him after class.

He literally jumped and spun around, as if expecting a 'Con had found him at school. "Oh. Hey Jennifer," he sighed in relief.

"What's the freak out for?" she asked with a giggle.

"I... you just startled me, is all," he stumbled over his words.

"How've you been doing?" she asked, "You've kinda been acting like a Zombie for the past few weeks."

"I've just- got a lot on my mind," he said shrugging.

"Oh. You and your family got plans for Christmas?" she asked changing the subject.

Jack felt a tiny piece of him panic. "It's December already?" Slag... Normally his mom would have the entire house decorated by December 1st. In Christmas' past Jack and June would sing in the different wards at the hospital. Christmas was never huge with tons of presents, but there was always lots of food. They would make so many candies and cookies and fudges that they would flow out of the kitchen and into the living room. Jack and June loved watching Christmas movies together, traveling north to build a snow man and eat Chocolate ice cream on Christmas Eve.

It was always, as the cliche coined, the happiest time of the year. But this year was like the first Christmas without Dad. If felt like he'd lost yet another father.

"Guess I just forgot," he said, though you can't really blame me. "Just the normal stuff," he shrugged.

Jennifer cocked her head, "Are you okay?"

He gave her a very fake smile. "Yeah, I'm doing great. Just a little tired, I guess." They made their way out the main door and Jen gave him an unsure wave goodbye.

He reciprocated and headed to the parking spot Arcee usually stayed in. He stopped short and his shoulders sagged. She wasn't there...again.

He turned to the bike rack and as he unlocked his bike he saw Raf sitting under a tree. Looks like Bee was MIA too. He didn't have to look around for Miko, she'd gotten angry enough that she just walked home now.

Ever since the whole Unicron scrap, the Atutobots had spent less and less time with their human charges. In fact, Jack hadn't seen Arcee in nearly three weeks. Miko and Raf had stopped by his house a few times when it first started happening. Miko was furious and had tried calling Bulkhead a hundred times but he just wouldn't answer. Raf was worried; Bee always kept in touch with him.

It was like the Bots had just dissapeared. Or worse, like they had never existed in the first place. Jack peddled instinctively to work. He worked mindlessly, ignoring the taunts he heard over the speaker from the customers. The time sped by and Jack found himself on his bike once more. When he got home, he peddled his bike into the garage.

Leaning it against the wall he simply stared at it.

His hand went to his pocket and he pulled out the odd shaped key. Running his fingers back and forth over the alien metal he wondered how they were doing. Last time he'd heard from them they were trying to get the 'Con's base location in attempts to get Prime back. Jack finally found the motivation to go up into the house.

The key to Vector Sigma became his new focus. Why had Prime given it to him? Ratchet had revealed to the rest that it wasn't really the key to the ground bridge power supply. But the old medic had never really explained what Vector Sigma was. Jack knew it was important simply by the way Ratchet had spoken about it. Why did Optimus give him the key? To any rational person it would mean that Prime had trusted Jack very greatly. But Jack had a hard time believing it. He couldn't understand what Optimus saw in him. He wanted to laugh when Ratchet said that before he was Prime, Orion Pax was a lot like Jack. It almost gave him hope that his future would be just as great.

He plopped down on the couch and turned the key in his hands. Just then the door from the garage opened and a song filled the house. "Jingle bells, Jingle bells, Jingle all the way! Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sliegh, Hey!" Jack looked up and grinned to his mom. "Hey Jack. How was your day, sweetie?"

Jack shrugged,"School was school. Work was work."

June's smile fell, "Still haven't heard from Arcee?" she asked softly.

Jack nodded. His mom sighed, "She's okay. I'm sure of it."

"Is Prime okay?" he asked softly.

June took a breath to speak but let it out. "Yes. He's alright. They will find him." she said taking a seat beside him and giving him a hug.

"I was thinking about going out there. Checking in on them," Jack said after returning her hug.

"Did you have homework?" his mother asked with an eyebrow raised.

Jack shook his head with a chuckle, "Christmas Break is coming up. Not a lot of stuff left to do. Just finals."

June grinned. "Why don't we pick up Miko and Raf? We could even bring some decorations to cheer them up."

"That's a great idea," Jack said already cheered up greatly himself, "I wonder if they have any holidays they celebrate," he wondered aloud.

"Alright. We'll go see them on Saturday," June smiled, "In the mean time what's say we put up the tree and break out the ice cream early?"

"Another great idea, Mom," Jack said jumping off the couch.

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><p><em>No clue if I'll continue. I have some more thought out but not written out. Wont make any promised because i haven't been the best at uploading or adding to my stories as of late.<em>


	2. Chapter 2

**A Christmas Without a Prime**

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><p><em>Chapter 2<em>

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><p>"I'm so excited!" Miko squealed, "I haven't been this excited in weeks!"<p>

"I hope they're not all out when we go over," Raph said turning over a box in his hands, "I've been working on this Christmas gift all week."

"I hope they made some head way," Jack said, "What could Megatron be doing?"

"Hey. None of that!" Miko said pointing at him threateningly, "It's almost Christmas. The guys need a well deserved happy break," she said emphasizing the word.

Raph jumped off the couch, "When is your mom coming back?"

Jack waved his hand to the platter of food, "Mom thought she'd make an assorted plate, which means something with some sugar in it. Christmas is the only time of year that sugar is allowed in the house."

"Slag," Miko laughed, "No wonder you're so skinny. I knew your mom was a health nut but that's a little overkill."

"You get used to it," Jack grinned, "It's not too bad. She'd gotten creative about spicing it up."

"Well, I guess I can wait for the goodies," Miko moaned flinging herself onto the couch, "But she better hurry."

Jack chuckled. His grin faded, "You know this is almost as nerve racking as when we had to wait for them to come back," he said thinking back to when Megatron had spoken to him.

"There you go again with the negativity!" Miko groaned.

Jack grinned sheepishly. He was trying to be excited, but the adrenaline was hard to coax right now. He kept thinking about that night. What Ratchet had said about the key to Vector Sigma. "One of Cybertron's most important relics," but what the slag was Vector Sigma? The old coot had never told them what it was! And it was driving him a little crazy.

To keep him from repeating his musings, the door opened and Miko squealed once more. "Mrs. Darby! Let's go!"

June laughed, "Okay! Okay. Let's get everything in the car," she said.

Miko whooped and Raph cheered heading for the car. Jack helped load and they were on their way.

* * *

><p>Bumblebee was out again trying to see if the Cons were doing anything Earth-side. The scout was down on his luck, again, still not able to read Prime's signal from anywhere on this planet. He also wasn't paying much attention. He hadn't been able to check in with Raf in three weeks. He was worried about the young boy. He had tried to see Raf several times but his worry for the missing Autobot leader was growing heavier. It was unlike Ratchet to not be able to find any one of the bots if they were ever lost. But ever since the whole trouble with Megatron and Unicron, things had been becoming more and more out of their control. And he could tell almost immediately that Ratchet did not do well without control.<p>

And neither had any of the bots, for that matter. It was becoming more and more apparent that Prime had been more than their leader and friend; he was the glue that held them all together. He was noticing it more and more with Arcee.

The femme was almost inconsolable. No one could get through to her. She had been tirelessly out in search for days at a time. The only time she called for pick up was when she needed Energon, having run herself dry.

It had only been a few weeks of searching but the yellow scout was desperately in need of a break. He was exhausted worrying about all this and double checking his chronometer, Bumblebee commed back to base for pick up. When he arrived back at the silo, he whirred happily. Not only were all the bots home (well almost) but, their human charges had arrived.

June Darby and Raf were putting some kind long green lengths of ...something all along the railings of the space. There were already red and white socks, if he remembered correctly, hanging there as well. Miko was putting some kind of hat on Bulkhead and Jack was talking with Arcee. Ratchet had a look of annoyance masking intrigue as he watched the festivities.

Bumblebees noises had caught Raf's ear and the young boy jumped up excitedly, running to the yellow mech. "Good to see you Bee!" he cheered hugging the 'bot's ankle. Bee lowered himself and asked the boy what was going on.

"We missed you guys and decided to celebrate Christmas with you!" he explained.

Bee cocked his head in confusion.

Raf went on to explain about the holiday as Ratchet mumbled. "It seems like a waste of our time," the medic noted quietly though Jack's mom heard it loud and clear.

"You've spent a lot of time looking for him," June noted right back at him, though not unkindly, "Don't you think they need a break?" she asked.

"We can rest when we know Prime is safe. We can 'take a break' when we know what Megatron is up to and when Prime is home." Ratchet hadn't meant to snap. He was just frustrated that they weren't getting any headway.

June smiled patiently. "You'll tire yourself out. Even if you find him tomorrow, you wouldn't have the strength to fight."

Ratchet was about to protest but she had a point. Would it really kill them to rest for a day? No, it wouldn't. Would it kill him to hear Bumblebee complain or for Bulkhead to destory more of his equipement? Quite possiblly. He vented in surrender. "Maybe one day of rest won't hinder our already unsuccessful progress," he admitted pessimistically.

"Good," she smiled her attention diverting to the kids as Miko plugged in her amp to the radio.

"We're going to sing some Christmas songs," she said with a flourish.

"Sing?" Arcee asked skeptically, "Maybe I'll just listen."

"Alright," Miko said in a sing-song voice, "But it's contagious!"

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><p><em>A little teaser of things to come! <em>

_So yeah, I've already seen the 2nd season premiere and was so not happy with it being part one! it better not be part 1 of 3! thought I have to admit, three part episodes would be awesome! the only down side to it is that I have to wait longer! grrrrrrr!_

_oh well. so, to tide you over till I have more..._

_tada!_

_Thanks for reading!_


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